FDA approves breakthrough drug for pancreatic cancer
The US Food and Drug Administration’s approval of a new treatment option for patients with advanced pancreatic cancer is one of the most significant breakthroughs for this type of cancer in decades.
Orange hydrogen from ancient rocks
The Yilgarn Craton stretches across south central Western Australia, and contains some of Earth’s oldest crust – including zircon crystals dating back some 4bn years, and extensive deposits of iron-rich and magnesium-rich rocks.
Upcycling waste PVC into a premium product
A US research team has turned tough-to-recycle polyvinyl chloride (PVC) into a high-value lubricant. The upcycling to polyalphaolefin (PAO) was achieved without expensive catalysts or ionic liquids in an effort to make it profitable further down the line.
Breakthrough expands scope for underwater solar cells
Researchers have demonstrated solar cells that can function ten metres underwater and could be used to power submerged sensors, cameras, and communication systems.
21 years of C&I
When tasked to write a feature charting the key events covered in C&I during Neil Eisberg’s editorship of SCI’s flagship magazine, I was understandably reluctant. My actual words were (paraphrased) that this would be a Herculean task. Few editors hang around for twenty-one years, after all. Or hold tenure during such a fascinating – if at times turbulent – period of not only scientific but also social and environmental change.
Researchers explore superconductivity in layered graphene
An international collaboration reports surprising superconductivity in a special kind of layered graphene. Graphene is made up of single layers of carbon atoms that can be stacked to form materials with different properties. A superconducting material allows electric current to flow without any resistance – usually this only occurs at extremely low temperatures, and a magnetic field can quickly destroy it.
Why pharma is taking a fresh look at psychedelics
The psychedelic drug market has been gaining momentum in the past year, fuelled by positive trials results, increasing numbers of regulatory approvals and encouragement from the US administration.
ALS: Trials for potential drug
Trials have opened for an experimental therapy for motor neuron disease (MND). The treatment, developed by Trace Neuroscience, is a short synthetic strand of RNA and targets the making of a protein called UNC13A, critical for packaging messages sent by neurons.
Polymer coating protects brittle battery materials
A polymer coating could improve the performance of battery electrode materials, according to researchers. The shape-memory polymer (SMP) nanocoated onto positive electrode materials helped with electrochemical and mechanical stability (Nature Nanotechnology, DOI: 10.1038/s41565-026-02224-y) through its ability to ‘dynamically delocalise’ concentrated stresses.